Attributes Needed for Good Communication

Essential attributes for successful team members include:

Open-mindedness
Tolerance of different perspectives
Willingness to experience new modes of interaction
Accepting of changes in authority and status, and even desire for challenge.
Ensuring that important pieces of information are constantly being conveyed and understood by all team members.
Team members must be honest about their own wishes, needs, and concerns.

The following tips will be helpful for maintaining open communication on your team:

Err on the side of over communicating. The inconvenience of sharing too much information is not as great as the potential risks associated with team members not having the information they need.
Seek to understand all angles. This usually means soliciting input from team members and then listening with the intent to fully understand the intended meaning.
Take responsibility for being heard and understood. All team members should work to get their message across so that its original meaning is understood.
Work to clear up misunderstandings quickly and accurately. Misunderstandings, when left unchecked, can become the source of great conflict among team members. It is usually best to clear up misinformation as soon as possible.
Reinforce and recognize team member efforts. Information sharing and soliciting input from others are activities that should be valued by the team.